Bath chair



Dec. 6, 1966 R. F. FORD 3,290,090

7 BATH CHAIR Filed Sept. 15,1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 LNVENTOR. RUSSELL. F. FORD ATTORNEY R'. F. FORD BATH CHAIR Dec. 6, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 13, 1965 IN VEN '11) R. r2ue sEL.\ F FORD BY W ATTORNEV United States Patent 3,290,090 BATH CHAIR Russell F. Ford, 227 N. Wiuton Ave., La Puente, Calif. Filed Sept. 13, 1965, Ser. No. 486,955 7 Claims. (Cl. 297-118) The present invention relates generally to bath accessories particularly useful for invalids, handicapped persons, or children; more particularly, the invention relates to a com bination bath chair and shower stool which is convertible from the one form to the other, and which includes a foot platform as part of the shower stool.

Invalids, handicapped persons and children often require special assistance for bathing or showering, especially persons who must partake of such ablutions in the sitting position.

The present invention contemplates a novel collapsible seating aid which in one of its forms is a bath chair and which may be converted to a bath or shower stool by the arrangement of its movable interfitting and slidable parts. As a chair, the invention incorporates a back, a

' seat, arm rests and strapping aids in the form of belt and buckle assemblies. The :back is articulatable on the arm rest supports. The seat is slidable in and out of its frame. The arm rests are movable and adjust with and with respectto the back so as to provide a variety of back-to-seat angles for upright or reclining use. The arm rest supports are provided with appropriate stops for any particular upright or reclining position to secure the arm rests in place at the desired back-to-seat angle.

When fully articulated forward, the back is level with the arm rests to form a continuous surface therewith raised above the floor level (at the bottom of the bath or shower), making it useful thus as a stool. The slidable seat may be moved forward in its guides to fonrn a foot pad, when the article in its collapsed form is used as a stool.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a bath chair which is convertible to a bath or shower stool.

An object of the invention is the provision of a bath chair, the back of which is articulatable with respect to the arm rests thereof to form a stool.

It is an object of this invention to provide a combination or convertible bath chair and shower stool wherein a foot platform is provided in the shower stool form thereof.

An object of this invention is to provide a bath chair adapted to rest upon the bottom and against the rear of a bath tub and provided with suction cup feet to prevent slipping.

It is an object of the invention to provide a bath chair wherein the back is articulatable to provide a series of different back-to-seat angles for upright or reclining sitting, and which back when fully articulated forward is aligned with the arm rests of the chair to form a stool without a back.

Another object of the invention is to provide a convertible seat and stool device to accommodate a person in the sitting position while showering or bathing.

It is another object of this invention to provide a combination bath and shower seating arrangement for the safe bathing or showering by an invalid, a handicapped person or a child.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those versed in the art from a consideration of the following description, the appended claims and the accompanying drawings, where- FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the combination bath chair and shower stool according to the present invention in its fully erected form;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken at line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the combination chair and stool of FIGURE 1, illustrating in phantom outline certain positions of components;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken at line 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the combination chair and stool of FIGURES 1 to 4, showing it in its configuration for use as a stool and foot rest;

FIGURE 6 is a top plan view taken at line 66 in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary view, partially in section, taken at line 77 in FIGURE 5; and

FIGURE 8 is a rear view of the combination chair and stool when in the configuration shown in FIGURES 1 and 3.

Referring to the drawings, the cornbination chair and stool 5 of this invention generally comprises a seat back 11 with a seat 14 slidable in a frame support 6 of generally U-shaped construction. Frame 6 is open to the front 7 of the chair 5. Channels as may be seen at 28 (FIGURE 5) are provided in frame 6 to permit the sliding of seat 14 forward. Seat 14 has a support foot 14a depending therefrom at the front center thereof so that when seat 14 slides forward it is raised from the floor and maintained level,

Seat back 11 as may be seen in FIGURES 1 and 4 is attached on pivots 34 to and between arms 12 and 13 so as to be articulatable thereon. Depending from back 11 are support links 35, 36 which are slidable in guide grooves 37 in the rear portions of arm supports 15 (FIG- URE 2) and which articulate on pivots 38 at the point of dependence of links 35, 36 from back 11. Links 35, 36 have pins 35a, 36a to hold the ends thereof in grooves 37 in arm supports 15. Arm supports 15 are upright tubular inverted U-shaped members attached to the side portions 6a and 6b of frame 6. On each end of arm supports 15 are provided suction cup floor pods 39 so that when the chair or stool 5 is placed on the floor of a tub or shower stall the holding action of suction cup pods 39 will prevent slippage thereof.

At the bottom rear of back 11 a bar 30 is attached thereto. This provides for putting the back 11 over into the seat position and a back rest in the latter position. The bar 30 permits adjustment of back 11 from a straightup to a reclining position, or to the final seat position.

A belt and buckle arrangement 16, 18 is attached to the seat back 11 as may be seen at 43 in FIGURE 4. Belt 16, 18 may be secured about the waist of the user when the invention is used as a chair as shown in the FIG- URES 1 and 2. Or when the invention is in the stool configuration shown in FIGURE 5 the belt and buckle assembly 16, 18 may be secured about the thighs of the person seated on the rear 11b of the back 11 as may be clearly seen in FIGURE 5.

Arm supports 15 have a series of apertures or receptacles 20-24 (FIGURES 1 and 4) on the top surfaces thereof which engage with tongue or ball extensions 22, 23 in arms 12, 13 to lock back 11 at one of several angles with respect to seat 11 when the invention is used in the chair configuration thereof. In the inner sides of arms 12 and 13 a pair of notches 32, 33 are provided which mate with and receive snap extensions 19, 21 on the sides of back 11 when the back is positioned between arms 12 and 13 as shown in FIGURE 5 to form a stool seat.

In the light of the above description it may be seen that the operation of the chair 5 and its construction provide 3 an easy means of con version thereof from a bath chair with an adjustable back to a shower stool.

As may be seen in FIGURES l, 3 and 5, the bath chair comprises a rectangular U frame 6 wherein the uprights of the U 611 and 6b have grooves such as 28 in juxtaposed edges thereof (FIGURE 2) which slidably receive a chair seat 14. Inverted U-shaped arm supports 15 are securely and rigidly attached to the uprights of the U- frame 6 and have suction cup pods 39 on the ends thereof. On'the cross bar of the arm rest Us (15) are apertures or receptacles I 20, 24 which engage corresponding pairs of balls or tongues 22, 23 in the bottom of arm rests 12 and 13' to permit back 11 to be set at different angles. Arm rests 12 and 13 attach to pivots 34 on back 11 to provide articulation of back 11 thereon. Arms 12, 13 move forward when back 11 is closed to the seat position as is shown by arrows 40 in FIGURE 6.

Belt and buckle assembly 16-18 attached to back 11 provide for securing the individual in the seat by his waist. 1

When the chair is placed in a tub or shower stall suction cups 39prevent slippage.

Y Back bar 30 connected at the bottomrear of back 11 permits lifting and forward motion of back 11 to set it into thesdesi'red position. Within the range of setting balls 22, 23 in apertures 20, 24 the back 11 may be set selectively to several positions from an upright to a reclining angle thereof with respect to seat 14.

.ForHuse as a stool as shown in FIGURE the steps suggested in FIGURES 3 and 6 are taken in the following manner:

.Back 11 is moved forward by grasping bar 30 and articulating back 11 on pivots 34. Links 35, 36 ride up in guide grooves 37 and seat'14 is pulled forward in grooves 28 of frame 6, the knobs 41 engaging groove 28 (FIGURE 7);-. Back 11 finally comes to rest flush with arms 12 and 13 being stopped by the engagement of knobs or tongues 19, 21 in receptacles or notches 32, 33 therein. Seat 14, its support foot 14a resting on the floor surface, now becomes a foot pad and the rear 11b of back 11 becomes the seat portion of a stool. Suction cup pods 39-remain' as slippage prevention means as before.

Those'versed in the art will appreciate that the present invention achieves the objects and realizes the advantages hereinbefore mentioned.

' Although a specific embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described herein, it will be understood that the same is merely exemplary of presently preferred embodiments capable of attaining the objects and advantages hereinbefor'e mentioned, and that the invention is not limited thereto; variations will be readily apparent to. those versed in the art, and the invention is entitled to the broadest interpretation within the terms of the appended claims.

Theinventor claims:

1. A'bath chair convertible to a stool, said chair comprising: framemeans; arm rest support means secured perpendicularly to said frame means; a rigid seat in said frame means; a 'rigid back and an arm rest means articulatingly assembled together and having links depending from said back, said links articulating on said back and beingengaged in said arm rest support means and slidable therein to couple said back and arm rests and said arm rest support means together; and belt means attached to saidback for securing by the waist an individual seated in Said chair; said back being articulatable on said arm rests to' a first position forming a seat-back with said seat and thereby a chair configuration thereof, and said back being articulatable to a second position on a common plane with saidarm rests to form a stool configuration thereof supported on said arm rest supports as the legs therefor, said belt means in said stool configuration being adapted thereby for securing the individual seated thereon to the stoolby his thighs.

.12..A :bath. chair according to claim 1, wherein said seat is slidable forwardly in said frame means and is moved forward therein in said stool configuration of said bath chair to provide a foot rest means.

3. A bath chair according to claim 1, wherein said arm rest supports include receptacle means, and said arm rests include ball means engageable with said receptacle means to permit locking said back with respect to said seat and said arm rests selectively into a vertical position of said back or into a position of said back angled with respect to said seat for reclining wherein said back forms an obtuse angle with respect to said seat and said arm rests.

4. A bath chair assembly comprising: back, seat and arm rest means operatively engaged with one another for articulation of said back on said arm rest means to a chair relationship of said back, seat and arm rests in a first position thereof; a support frame means for said seat and said arm rest means, said seat being slidably positioned in said frame and said arm rest means being supported on said frame, the articulation of said back with respect to arm rest means being adapted to permit the movement of said back into a second position in planar alignment with said arm rest means, said back being supportable thereon to form a stool relation-ship wherein said support frame means is the base of said stool and the back and arm rests in planar alignment form the seat thereof.

5. A bath chair assembly according to claim 4, wherein said frame means includes guide grooves, said seat being slidably engaged in said guide grooves, and having a front mounted support foot thereon, whereby when said back is in said second position thereof said seat may be slidably extended to form a foot rest for one seated on said back when forming a stool seat.

6. A bath chair convertible to a bath stool comprising a frame means; a back means including means coupled with said frame means and movable therein; arm rest means in articulating engagement with said back means and engageable with said frame means to secure said back selectively in a desired position for seating or reclining, there being formed in alternative selective positions of said back, respectively, a stool, a seat with vertical back, and a seat with reclining back; and a seat means slidably engageable in said frame means and adapted to be a seat when said back is in said seat-with-a-vertical-back or seatwith-a-reclining-back configuration and to be slidably moved forwardly out of said frame means to form a foot rest when said back is in said stool configuration of said bath chair.

7. A bath chair convertible to a bath stool comprising: a rigid frame; a rigid seating means slidable in said frame to a first and a second position; a back means, and arm rest means in articulating engagement with said back means and adapted to be positioned selectively in .predetermined locations in said frame, said back and arm rest means being positionable in respect to the selective locations of said arm rests on said frame, and at various angles with respect to one another so as to form alternatively as selected, a reclining chair, an upright chair and a stool, said seating means being in said first position thereof in said chair forms the convertible bath chair and said second position in said stool form thereof.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,145,455 6/1915 Alexander 297128 X 1,218,322 3/1917 Sandell 297 X 1,819,956 8/1931 Kocjan 297127 1,939,568 12/1933 Panhorst 297359 X 2,104,830 1/1938 Collard 297385 X 2,463,049 3/1949 Onsa 297385 2,645,781 7/1953 Moyer 4185 2,647,561 8/1953 Szabo 4185 FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

I. T. MCCALL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A BATH CHAIR CONVERTIBLE TO A STOOL, SAID CHAIR COMPRISING: FRAME MEANS; ARM REST SUPPORT MEANS SECURED PERPENDICULARLY TO SAID FRAME MEANS; A RIGID SEAT IN SAID FRAME MEANS; A RIGID BACK AND AN ARM REST MEANS ARTICULATINGLY ASSEMBLED TOGETHER AND HAVING LINKS DEPENDING FROM SAID BACK, SAID LINKS ARTICULATING ON SAID BACK AND BEING ENGAGED IN SAID ARM REST SUPPORTED MEANS AND SLIDABLE THEREIN TO COUPLE SAID BACK AND ARM RESTS AND SAID ARM REST SUPPORT MEANS TOGETHER; AND BELT MEANS ATTACHED TO SAID BACK FOR SECURING BY THE WAIST AN INDIVIDUAL SEATED IN SAID CHAIR; SAID BACK BEING ARTICULATING ON SAID ARM RESTS TO A FIRST POSITION FORMING A SEAT-BACK WITH SAID SEAT AND THEREBY A CHAIR CONFIGURATION THEREOF, AND SAID BACK BEING 